The Charge

"This isn't a victory for me, this is a victory for the justice system.
And my balls."—Eric Cartman

Opening Statement

South Park: Imaginationland is the most epic event in South
Park history since the first feature film. South Park creators Trey
Parker and Matt Stone have launched a new DVD with the full trilogy of episodes,
and fans will find it worth the wait.

Facts of the Case

Kyle and Cartman have made a bet: if leprechauns are real, Kyle will suck
Cartman's balls. If not, Kyle will get $10. Unfortunately for Kyle, a leprechaun
does appear, warning of a possible terrorist attack. Kyle, Cartman, Stan,
Butters, and Jimmy then embark on an epic journey into Imaginationland, where
characters from literature, fiction, and myths all come to life, just as
terrorists suddenly launch an attack there. Will the U.S. government decide to
destroy Imaginationland in order to prevent further attacks? Will Butters,
trapped in Imaginationland amidst a battle between the good and evil characters
of fiction, survive? And will Cartman finally get Kyle to suck his balls?

The Evidence

At the heart of Imaginationland is the juxtaposition of two stories.
One is about how the myths and fantasies we create can sometimes be more real
than reality itself; the other is about Cartman demanding that Kyle suck his
balls. There's no getting around it: you can't have one story without the other,
and that's as it should be. South Park fans wouldn't have it any other
way.

Imaginationland is an epic, of course, to the extent that South
Park does epics. Aired as three separate episodes in October 2007,
Imaginationland is a perfect example of South Park's unmatched
ability to blend highbrow intellectualism and lowbrow potty humor. Who else
would incorporate references to Saving Private Ryan and the
Al-Jazeera network with a shot of Cartman's dry, dry balls exploding into
dust?

Fans will have a lot of fun with this disc. In Imaginationalnd, the boys
finally meet almost every single major character in fiction and popular culture.
The freeze-frame button will come in handy to identify as many as possible. In
just one brief shot, you can see the Lollipop King, H.R. Pufnstuf, the Alien
(from Alien), the Predator (from
Predator), and of course
Mickey Mouse—getting his head blown off. There are literally hundreds
more—plus characters from previous South Park episodes reappear.
The Christmas Critters, from the episode where Cartman wrote a ridiculously
grotesque Christmas story, are back. Adorable and endearing, they are just the
most darling little forest animals who are so very enamored of Satanism and
blood orgies. Here, their taste for gruesome torture causes Jason (Friday the 13th) Voorhees to
exclaim in disgust, "I do not want to meet the kid who dreamt those
things up." Also, Al Gore and his bête noire, the fearsome (and
imaginary) Manbearpig, return as well.

Is there a point to Imaginationland? Probably. In fact, maybe two.
First, that stories, myths, and legends do matter. That those stories may be
fictional and not real, but the truths and emotions those stories communicate
may seem more real than some real-life experiences. And second, that you should
never ever make a bet involving sucking someone's balls. There's always a chance
you'll lose.

For this DVD, Parker and Stone have edited the three episodes into a
65-minute "director's cut." There are no opening credits, each episode
gets a brief movie-like intro, and there are a few additional shots and
lines—nothing Earth-shattering, just some minor expansions here and there.
The change that most fans will notice is that the bleeps to obscure profanities
are all gone, so you can hear Jimmy say the F-word in full clarity. There's also
a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix that kicks in during a couple of the explosions and
battles, but is otherwise unused. The original stereo 2.0 mix is included as
well. The full-screen transfer is the same as any other South Park
DVD.

The biggest extra is a commentary by Parker and Stone. Unlike the 69-minute
"mini"-commentaries on the series box sets, this one almost goes the
distance, stopping at the 47-minute mark. Both are unrestrained and have plenty
to say about the writing and animation, as well as other subjects (M. Night
Shyamalan fans should probably steer clear). Also included are storyboards for
two scenes, the opening and the part where the boys arrive in Imaginationland,
with audio tracks. These have one or two extra jokes not included in the final
version. Finally, the disc is rounded out by the two episodes that introduced
the Christmas Critters ("Woodland Critter Christmas") and Al Gore and
Manbearpig ("Manbearpig").

The Rebuttal Witnesses

The appearance by Al Gore, which once again rehashes the
"Manbearpig" episode, is pointless. He's only in here for a few
minutes, but his appearance adds little humor. Maybe there should have been more
of the Christmas Critters and their taste for depravity. No one can ever get
enough of that, really.

Closing Statement

South Park fans should definitely spring for this one. The special
features are far more expansive than on any of the regular season sets. Because
this has many references to previous episodes, newcomers may want to start
elsewhere, such as the Hits: Vol. 1 box set.

The Verdict

The court decrees that no one, anywhere, ever, should be forced to suck
anyone's balls. Except for Kyle, as he signed a contract.